Fastener positioning devices in a wide variety of constructions have been provided heretofore. Such devices are usually stationary although portable devices of sorts have been utilized. Many of the positioning devices of the prior art have utilized impact means having a magnitized head for receiving and positioning the head of fasteners fed from various fastener feeding devices. Problems have arisen in connection with such devices in that there have been no reliable means for insuring that the fasteners will be received from the feeding device every time in a desired position by the magnitized impact head. Such reception of the fastener would be complicated were the positioning device mobilized to move from one position to another. A recent effort to provide effective means for aligning the fastener is exemplified by the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 3,765,588 which utilizes magnitized means for aligning the shank of the fastener means. The entire arrnagement is movable laterally in response to movement of the impact means. The fastening means which may be utilized therewith are limited, since a particular shank construction is required. Moreover, since the fastening means are not positively positioned, such would be of questionable value if utilized with a mobile structure where positive positioning is necessitated due to vibration encountered when moving the entire apparatus from place to place while discharging and impacting fasteners.
Accordingly, it is an important object of this invention to provide a fastener feeding and positioning means capable of use with a vehicle which may be moved to position the fasteners in a desired sequence and position on an extensive nailable area such as a roof deck and the like. Devices constructed in accordance with the present invention have particular utility in connection with the fastening down of felts, sheet metal, and paper, etc., utilized in vermiculite, metal and wood, etc. deck constructions.
Another important object of the invention is to provide positive means for positioning fasteners which maintain the positioning of the fastening means positively at all times until they are positioned by a magnetized impact head immediately prior to impact.
Another important object of the invention is to provide a positive fastening positioner which will work every time to position fasteners and which will require a minimum of attention while in operation and a minimum of maintenance thereafter.